A Family of Our Own
by geekybones
Summary: London Shepard brings up the idea of someday raising a family with Tali.


"You ever thought about having kids?"

Tali looked up from the circuit board she was soldering and turned her head towards London. "Huh?"

London sat on the sofa, snuggled into the corner with her legs stretched out towards the desk where Tali was working. Her gaze was pointed idly at the ceiling. "You know, kids."

Tali scooted the chair back a few inches from desk. "Like, you mean us? Us having kids?"

"Yeah. I was just thinking about what it'd be like if we had a family." London looked to Tali now, "Since we're gonna have that house with a white picket fence and all that on Rannoch, a family seems like the next step."

Cocking her head to the side and crossing her arms and legs, Tali leaned back into the chair. "I assume you're taking into account that any sort of Quarian-Human hybrid child would be impossible." She said wryly.

London rolled her eyes and smiled. "Of course I am. I mean adopting some kids." Her smile faded a bit, "God knows there will be plenty of kids needing homes after this war."

Tapping the round mouth port of her helmet, Tali hummed a bit in thought. "I've never really thought about having kids, to be honest."

"Well, to be fair you've been pretty busy."

"We both have." Tali rolled the chair to edge of the sofa and playfully pulled on London's big toes. "So what did you have in mind?"

London wiggled her feet in response to Tali's pulling. "Well, I was thinking two girls," She stated, pulling her feet away from Tali's tickling hands and wrapping her arms around her shins, "Young, toddler age or younger, probably. That way even their earliest memories would be of us as their parents."

With London's legs no longer occupying the length of the sofa, Tali kicked her feet up on the ledge. "I like that." She said softly, voice a bit distant as if she was imagining what London had proposed. "Would be a bit different from what I'm used to- what with the one child policy on the Flotilla, but I like it. If they were the same age they could be like twins."

"The galaxy's first Quarian and human twins." London laughed.

Tali perked up, raising an eyebrow. "Quarian and human?"

"Yeah!" London grinned at Tali, "I was thinking we could adopt a Quarian child and a Human child. One of each, to match their mommies. We'd know how to care for them since their our species and we could avoid that whole Quarian-Human hybrid monstrosity."

Tali smooshed her hands to the sides of helmet, shaking it back and forth. "Keelah, that would be so adorable! And Quarian children are so much less likely to get adopted to because of their special needs... We'd be perfect for it though! Oh my gosh yes!" She stopped shaking her head and gazed into the distance, imagining their future family.

"So, sound like a good idea?" London moved to all fours and crawled to the end of the sofa, placing Tali's feet in her lap and looking to her girlfriend. "Like, something you'd seriously consider?"

"Oh London, absolutely!" Tali clapped her hands excitedly a few times, clasped them together, and then looked slyly at London. "You do realize that now I'm going to go on a quest to find the perfect names and all that other stuff, right?"

London laughed. "Well, you got some time." She mimicked Tali earlier and pulled on Tali's long toes. "I was thinking we could go through with it after we get the house on Rannoch built. Start applying when it gets done being built... Adoption takes some time so we could get settled into the house while we waited..."

Tali wiggled her toes free of London's grasp and put her feet back on the floor. "You don't think they'd give us a freebie for being the saviors of the galaxy?"

"I wouldn't bet on it. If other adoption agencies are anything like they are on Earth, everybody goes through the same red tape and waits until they're called no matter who they are." London pursed her lips and nodded her head to the side, "Well, except if you bribe your way up the list. But I don't really intend to do that."

"Plus, like you said, there's going to be plenty of orphans after this war. I'd imagine the wait period will be a lot shorter because of it."

"Yeah good point." London was quiet for a moment before rising up to plant a kiss on Tali's visor. "I'm glad you like the idea."

Tali blushed a bit, not moving to wipe away the smear on her visor. "How long have you been thinking about this, anyway?"

"Ever since we got Rannoch back. All the talk of building a house on Rannoch made me think of us and what it would be like if we had a family." London slowly sat back down and tilted her gaze downwards, "Garrus helped too. We were talking the other day and he mentioned how there's going to be a lot of 'angry orphans out there' after this war ends. I, just. I was an angry orphan and if I can keep even just two kids in a loving home... Give them the family and home I never had..." She looked back up at Tali. "I'd never been big on kids before, but after thinking about it like that, I couldn't stop thinking about having a family. Most of all one with you. There's no one I would rather have kids with than you."

"I don't know anything about raising kids, but if there was anyone that I would like to learn about it with, it's you, London." Tali replied lovingly. "We might not be the most typical parents or family, but we'll make the best life we can for our two girls." She took London's hands into her own, squeezing them softly, "We'll give them the loving family every child deserves."

London squeezed Tali's hands back, a smile reappearing on her face. "You'll be a great mom, Tali."

"And you'll be..." Tali hummed a bit, "You'll be less a typical mom and more the crazy wild dad type." She said sarcastically.

London let out a laugh. "Yeah that sounds about right." She squeezed Tali's hand firmly. "So, we're good on this? I mean, it's a big decision so if you want to wait and give it more thought-"

"London, I'm already running an extranet search for potential baby names." Tali replied, a smile on her face. "I want this. I know it might be a few years, but I want this." She lifted one of her hands up and stroked London's cheek. "I want a family with you, London."

London smiled, eyes a bit misty. She covered Tali's hand with her own. "And I want one with you, Tali."


End file.
